Duplicating machine



Aug. 23, 1932. FLANgGAN 1,872,718

DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed Aug. 26, 1929 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 PATENTOFFICE JOE-IN J. FLANIGA'N, or 'oAit PARK, ILLINOIS, Assreivon 'rovrvin, INconronA'rEn, or

.. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A, CORPORATION or rumors nUrL oAT iIe MACHINEApplication filed August 26, 1929. Serial No. 388 ,463.

My invention relates to duplicating machines of the type'disclosed in mycopending application SerialN-o. 344,203, filed March 5, .1929.

My object is to provide ainovel and-improved movable carriage bearingwhich will eliminate frictional resistance to the movement of thecarriage and at the same time maintain the carriage in definite relationto the printing bed as the carriage moves- A. further object is toprovide a bearing which will require no lubrication, which will beinexpensive to manufacture and durable and long lived in operation, andwhich can 1 be adjusted to eliminate all play or looseness between theguide rod and bearing. Other objects of my invention will appearhereinafter; i I

Referring to the drawing Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the upperportion of a duplicating machine, showing the carriage and bearingtherefor embodying my invention; and I 7 Fig. 2 is an enlargedtransverse vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. 1

In Fig. 1 the upper portion of the frame 10 of a duplicating machine isshown. Atv the top of the frame is a fiat supporting bed '11 upon whichthe gelatin band (not shown) is stretched. At the forward end of thesupporting bed a margin bar 12 is provided for registering the sheets tobe printed with the master impression on the gelatin band. A

latencarriage 13 is positioned above and straddles the supporting bed'and gelatin band, and is mountedto reciprocate back'and forth along thebed-for the purpose of'impressing the sheets upon the gelatin bandduring the printing stroke and stripping or removing from the bandtherefrom during the return stroke. This carriage has a suitable sheetguide 14 and a platen roller 15 by means of which the sheets are pressedupon the gelatin band. The carriage alsohas a handle 16 by which it ismoved back and forth and byw-hich the platen roller is operated to applythe necessary printing pressure on the sheet,-all as set forth in mycopending application above mentioned.

At'one side the carriage is provided with the framewithin the channel.rod'is supported at its ends in the frame suitable rollers whichbear'upontlie top bi the frame for supporting that side of the carriage.On the side of the carriage shown in p the drawing, the carriagehas anarm 17 which extends downwardly and has the supporting bearing at itsend. The frame, along this side and beneath the plane of the supportingbed 11,:is U-shaped in section, asshown in Fig. 2 so as to form achannel within which the bearing is positioned. This makes a' neatappearing structure and serves as a guard to prevent damage of the partsor contact'therewith by the operator. The arm 17 extends downwardly justoutside of the outer edge 18 of the top of this frame channel, and atits lower end carries a boX like frame casting which'embraces the guiderod-or rail 20 extending the lengthof This guide members 21 and has stopmembers 22 which are engaged by the ends of the bearing frame 19'todetermine the limits of movement of the carriage. The bearing frame 19has an outer side wall 23, top wall 24 and endwalls 25. The end-walls 25have openings 26 for the guide rod 20, these openings being sufficientlylarge to permit the free movement of the bearing frame along the rodwithout contacting with the rod. The bearing frame is elongated tooccupy aconsiderable length of the red. It carries bearing rollers 27within its ends which are spaced apart lengthwise of'the rod therebyproviding two widely separated points of support on the rod.

These bearing rollers are comparatively 'wide and their peripheries 28are grooved to conform to the curvature of-the rod. They are rotatablymounted on shaft 29 in the form of threaded bolts which are screwed intothreaded bosses 30 formed in the bearing frame. These bolts have heads31for holding the rollersin place. The rollers are large and substantial,and since they are positioned on the upper side of the rod, they supportthe direct weight of the carriage and the pressure incident to theoperation of the carriage and the plate roller. 1

On'the under side of the guide rod opposite the bearing rollers Iprovide contact plugs 32. These plugs are threaded and are screwed intothreaded bosses 83 formed on the end walls of the bearing frame andadjustable radially toward or from the guide rod. These plugs arepreferably made of a material such as bakelite which will with stand vwear and requires no lubrication. Their inner ends 34 are preferablyflat for contact with the under side of the guide rod. They ar'e'screwedintotheir sockets until their flat ends lightly touch the guide rod toprevent any play between the grooved bearing rollers and the guide rod.Their contact with the rod, however, is not sufficient to frictionallyinterfere with the movement of the carriage along the guide rod Thesecon tact plugs are not subject to the downward weight and operatingthrusts of the carriage unless those thrusts tend to rock the carriageor raise it above the supporting bed.

In a similar manner the side thrusts on the carriage are taken care ofby another set of bearing rollers 35 andbakelite plugs 36. The bearingrollers 35 are mounted to rotate on shafts 37 in the form of threadedbolts similar to the bolts 29. These bolts are also mounted in bosses 38formed on the bearing frame. The bearing rollers 35 rotate on axes atright angles to the main bearing rollers 27 and are positioned at rightangles to the main rollers so that they will contact with the'side ofthe guide rod. Bearing rollers 35 have flat peripheries to minimize thearea of contact with the rod. The plugs 36 are disposed opposite rollers35 and are similar to the previously described plugs 32. After bothplugs 32 and 36 are adjusted in position, metal set screws 40 arescrewed into the threaded bosses behind the bearing plugs for lockingthe plugs in position and sealing the openings in the bosses.

The bearing structure is exceptionally effective for reciprocatingcarriages of duplicating machines because it positively holds thecarriage in exact angular and printing relation to the printing bed andat the same time permits the free and unrestricted movement of thecarriage. No lubrication is required on the guide rail, hence the guiderail can be kept clean and free from gumminess which would otherwiseprevent free movementrof the carriage. The bearing is inexpensive tomanufacture and its parts can be readily removed and replaced whendesired.

I am aware that changes can be made in the construction, operation andarrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the inventionand I reserve the right to make such changes as fairly fall within thescope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a duplicating machine which has a printing bed, a platencarriage movable along said bed, and a guide rail for the carriage, thecombination of a bearing supporting the carriage on the guide rail andcomprising a frame, bearing rollers in .said frame bearing on said guiderail, and adjustable plugs in said frame opposite said bearing rollersto engage the guide rail.

2. In a duplicating machine which has a printing bed, a carriage movablealong said bed and a track member for the carriage, the

combination of a bearing supporting the car riage on said track andcomprising a frame embracing the track and through which the trackextends, bearing rollers in said frame bearing upon said track, andplugs in said frame opposite said bearing rollers and adjustable withrespect to said track to take up any play between the bearing rollersand the track.

3. In a duplicating machine which has a printing bed, a platen carriagemovable along said bed, and a track member for the carriage,

the combination of a bearing supporting the carriage on the track memberin definite relation to the printing bed and comprising a frame havingbearing rollers bearing on the track member and spaced apart lengthwiseof said track member, and adjustable take up members in said frame forcontact with the track member opposite each of said bearing rollers.

V 4. In a duplicating machine which has a printing bed, a transverselydisposed carriage movable along said bed, and a guide rail disposedbelow the plane of the bed and at one side thereof, the combination of abearing connected to the carriage at one side thereof for supporting thecarriage in definite relation to the bed, said bearing comprising aframe embracing the guide rail and elongated lengthwise of the rail andhaving grooved bearing rollers above the rail at points separatedlengthwise of the rail, and adjustable take up plugs in said framebeneath the rail and in vertical alignment with the bearing rollers.

6. In a duplicating machine which has a printing bed, a transverselydisposed carriage movable along said bed, and a guide rail disposedbelow the plane of the bed and at one side thereof, the combination of abearing connected to the carriage at one side thereof for supporting thecarriage in definite relation to the bed, said bearing comprising aframe embracing the guide rail and elongated lengthwise of the rail andhaving grooved bearing rollers above the rail at points separatedlengthwise of the rail, adjustable take up plugs in said frame beneaththe rail and in vertical alignment with each of the bearing rollers andother bearing rollers and take up plugs on opposite sides of the rail inalignment at right angles to the alignment of said firstmentionedrollers and take up plugs.

7 A hearing support movable along a track comprising a supportinghousing having a roller rotatably mounted therein and engageable withthe upper side of said track, another roller rotatably mounted in saidsupporting housing engageable with one side of said track, a plug insaid housing opposite one of said rollers, and another plug in saidhousing opposite the other of said rollers, said plugs being tensionedagainst said track to 7 hold said rollers thereon to prevent movementthereof radially of said track.

8. A hearing support movable along a track and comprising a supportinghousing having aroller rotatably mounted therein and engageable with theupper side of said track, another roller rotatably mounted in saidhousing and engageable with one side of said track, a screw plug mountedin said housing opposite the one of said rollers, another screw plugmounted in said housing opposite the other of said rollers, said screwplugs being adjustable to neatly engage said track to hold the rollerson the track and against radial movement relative to the track, andmeans holding said screw plugs in adjusted position. JOHN J. FLANIGAN.

